Welcome in Persian: Khosh Âmadid and 15 Ways Iranians Welcome Guests

The standard way to say welcome in Persian is خوش آمدید (khosh âmadid), literally “you came well.” It is polite and works for one person or a group. In everyday speech it sounds like خوش اومدین (khosh umadin), and to a friend or child you say خوش اومدی (khosh umadi). The usual reply is مرسی (mersi) or خوش باشید (khosh bâshid).

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Note that English “welcome” has two jobs, and Persian uses two completely different phrases for them. Welcoming a guest is khosh âmadid. Answering “thank you” (“you’re welcome”) is خواهش می‌کنم (khâhesh mikonam). Mixing them up is one of the most common beginner mistakes. Below you will find both, plus the warmer hospitality phrases Iranians actually use at the door, how to welcome someone back from a trip, what is written on signs, how to reply, and practice exercises at the end.

Khosh âmadid: the basic Persian welcome

خوش (khosh) means “good, pleasant” and آمدید (âmadid) is “you came,” the past tense of آمدن (âmadan), “to come.” So the phrase literally says “you came well” or “it is good that you came.” Like any Persian verb, the ending changes with the person you are talking to.

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Why two pronunciations? In spoken Persian, the long â before n or m often turns into u: آمدن (âmadan) is said اومدن (umadan), just as خانه (khâne, house) is said خونه (khune). The polite ending -id is also usually pronounced -in in the capital. Write khosh âmadid, but expect to hear khosh umadin. If you are curious how the -id / -i endings work, see how to conjugate Persian verbs.

Shomâ or to: which form to choose

Persian has a polite “you” (شما, shomâ) and a familiar “you” (تو, to). Khosh âmadid goes with shomâ, khosh âmadi with to. Use the polite form with anyone older than you, with customers, guests you don’t know well, teachers and colleagues. Use the familiar form with close friends, family your age or younger, and children. When in doubt, choose khosh âmadid: it is never wrong. The lesson on polite pronouns (shomâ instead of to) explains this in more detail.

Persian verbs have no gender, so the same phrase welcomes a man, a woman or a mixed group.

“Welcome to …”: be … khosh âmadid

To say where someone is welcome, put به (be, “to”) before the place and the phrase after it. Persian puts the verb last.

• به ایران خوش آمدید (be irân khosh âmadid): Welcome to Iran.
• به خانه‌ی ما خوش آمدید (be khâne-ye mâ khosh âmadid): Welcome to our home. Spoken: به خونه‌ی ما خوش اومدین (be khune-ye mâ khosh umadin).
• به شیراز خوش آمدید (be shirâz khosh âmadid): Welcome to Shiraz.
• به جمع ما خوش آمدید (be jam’-e mâ khosh âmadid): Welcome to our group (to a new colleague or member).
• به کلاس خوش آمدید (be kelâs khosh âmadid): Welcome to the class.

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Warmer ways Iranians welcome guests

Hospitality is close to sacred in Iranian culture, and a single khosh âmadid rarely feels like enough. Hosts usually stack several phrases together at the door. These are the ones you will hear most.

Befarmâyid: the word that opens every door

بفرمایید (befarmâyid) comes from the polite verb فرمودن (farmudan). It has no single English equivalent: depending on the gesture, it means “please come in,” “please sit down,” “please help yourself,” “go ahead” or “here you are.” A host who opens the door, smiles and says befarmâyid is welcoming you as clearly as with khosh âmadid. You can read more about the verb in the lesson on farmudan, the polite “to say”.

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Safâ âvordid and its reply

صفا (safâ) means purity, joy, a pleasant atmosphere. صفا آوردید (safâ âvordid) tells the guest “you brought warmth and joy with you.” The standard reply returns the compliment: صفای شما (safâ-ye shomâ), “the joy is yours,” or to a friend صفای تو (safâ-ye to).

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Ghadamet ru-ye cheshm: “your step on my eyes”

This one surprises learners. قدم (ghadam) is a step, چشم (cheshm) the eye. Saying a guest’s step is “on my eyes” means “you are so welcome that I would let you walk on my eyes.” It is affectionate and used with friends, relatives and guests alike. The informal form is قدمت رو چشم (ghadamet ru cheshm).

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Very formal welcomes

At official events, in letters, or with a very respected guest, you may hear more elevated phrases. You don’t need to say them as a beginner, but it helps to recognize them:

• مشرف فرمودید (mosharraf farmudid): you have honored us (with your visit).
• قدم رنجه فرمودید (ghadam-ranje farmudid): you took the trouble to come.
• ورود شما را خوش‌آمد می‌گوییم (vorud-e shomâ râ khosh-âmad miguyim): we welcome your arrival. Typical of banners, programs and opening speeches.

How to reply when someone says welcome

When an Iranian host welcomes you, a short, warm reply is all you need. You will often trade two or three polite lines at the door, which is part of تعارف (ta’ârof), the Persian etiquette of courtesy. The guide to taarof and Persian politeness explains the custom in depth.

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For more ways to say thanks, see thank you in Persian.

“Welcome back” in Persian

Persian has no exact phrase for “welcome back.” Iranians say different things depending on where the person is coming back from:

• From a trip: رسیدن بخیر (residan bekheyr), “(welcome back,) glad you arrived safely.” This is the standard phrase for someone who just landed or got home. You can follow it with سفر خوش گذشت؟ (safar khosh gozasht?), “Did you have a good trip?”
• Back home or back at work after an absence: just خوش آمدید (khosh âmadid) or خوش اومدی (khosh umadi), often with دلمون برات تنگ شده بود (delemun barât tang shode bud), “we missed you.”
• Back from pilgrimage: زیارت قبول (ziyârat ghabul), “may your pilgrimage be accepted.”

A literal translation of “welcome back” is not idiomatic, so stick with the phrases above.

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“You’re welcome” in Persian (reply to thank you)

If you came here looking for the answer to “thank you,” this is the section you need. Persian never uses khosh âmadid for that. Instead:

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So the same English word is two different Persian phrases: a host at the door says khosh âmadid; a person you just thanked says khâhesh mikonam.

Welcome on signs, websites and in writing

You will see khosh âmadid on airport walls, city entrance signs, hotel lobbies and website banners. A few patterns to recognize:

• به … خوش آمدید (be … khosh âmadid): “Welcome to …” with any place name, for example به اصفهان خوش آمدید (be esfahân khosh âmadid).
• به سایت ما خوش آمدید (be sâyt-e mâ khosh âmadid): Welcome to our website.
• خوش‌آمد or خوشامد (khoshâmad): “welcome” as a noun, as in پیام خوشامد (payâm-e khoshâmad), a welcome message.
• خوشامدگویی (khoshâmadgu’i): the act of welcoming, as in a welcoming speech.

Persian also has a verb for welcoming in the sense of going out to receive someone or welcoming an idea: استقبال کردن (esteghbâl kardan). به استقبالش رفتیم (be esteghbâlash raftim) means “we went to meet him (at the airport, at the door).” And از پیشنهاد شما استقبال می‌کنیم (az pishnahâd-e shomâ esteghbâl mikonim) means “we welcome your suggestion.”

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A short welcome dialogue

Here is how a typical arrival sounds in spoken Persian. Sara visits her colleague Maryam’s home for the first time.

For more hosting dialogues, see Persian Conversation 11: offering drinks and Persian Conversation 24: inviting someone to dinner.

Iranian hospitality: what happens after “welcome”

Knowing the words is half of it. A few customs explain why welcomes in Iran feel so warm and why they last so long:

• A guest is a gift. A well-known saying goes مهمان حبیب خداست (mehmân habib-e khodâst), “a guest is God’s beloved.” Hosts take this seriously, and guests are given the best seat, the best food and plenty of attention.
• Shoes come off. In most Iranian homes, people take their shoes off at the door. The host may insist you keep them on; it is still polite to offer to take them off.
• Tea first, then fruit and sweets. Expect to be offered tea soon after you sit down, followed by fruit, nuts or pastries. The host says بفرمایید (befarmâyid) each time something is offered.
• Offers are repeated. Because of ta’ârof, a polite guest may decline once and the host will offer again. If you really want something, it is fine to accept on the second offer.
• Greet the elders first. When you enter a room, say salâm to the oldest people before others. See hello in Persian for greetings.
• Leaving takes time too. Hosts will often say حالا زوده (hâlâ zude), “it’s still early,” when you get up to go, and walk you to the door. A good parting line is خیلی خوش گذشت، دستتون درد نکنه (kheyli khosh gozasht, dastetun dard nakone), “we had a great time, thank you.”

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Common mistakes to avoid

• Using khosh âmadid for “you’re welcome.” After “thank you,” say خواهش می‌کنم (khâhesh mikonam).
• Saying the familiar form to an elder. Khosh umadi to your friend’s grandmother sounds too casual. Use khosh âmadid.
• Putting the place after the verb. English “welcome to Iran” becomes “to Iran welcome” in Persian: به ایران خوش آمدید, not khosh âmadid be irân (that order is heard in speech only as an afterthought).
• Translating “welcome back” word for word. Use residan bekheyr or simply khosh âmadid.
• Reading the spoken form as a spelling. You say khosh umadin, but in formal writing you write خوش آمدید.

To look up any word from this page, use the online Persian dictionary.

Ready for more? Try the Persian greetings quiz or review the beginner lesson on greetings and introductions.

Common questions

How do you say welcome in Farsi?

Say خوش آمدید (khosh âmadid) to be polite or to welcome a group, and خوش اومدی (khosh umadi) to a friend or child. In everyday speech the polite form sounds like khosh umadin.

What does khosh amadid mean?

It means “welcome.” Literally it is “you came well” or “it is good that you came”: خوش (khosh) is “good, pleasant” and آمدید (âmadid) is “you came.”

How do you respond to khosh amadid?

Say مرسی (mersi), خیلی ممنون (kheyli mamnun), or the traditional خوش باشید (khosh bâshid), “be well.” If the host says safâ âvordid, answer صفای شما (safâ-ye shomâ).

How do you say “you’re welcome” in Persian?

After “thank you,” say خواهش می‌کنم (khâhesh mikonam). Other options are قابلی نداشت (ghâbeli nadâsht), “it was nothing,” and کاری نکردم (kâri nakardam), “I didn’t do anything.”

What does befarmayid mean?

بفرمایید (befarmâyid) is a polite “please”: please come in, please sit, please help yourself, or here you are. Hosts use it constantly when welcoming guests.

Is welcome the same in Dari?

Yes, Afghans also write خوش آمدید, though the pronunciation differs slightly from Iranian Persian. See Dari greetings and common phrases.

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